Watercolour | Art journals | Melissa Peacock

It's all work and no play around here recently so here's a list of my current top favourite materials I like to use for journaling and artmaking! I thought maybe it was obvious with all the videos, but it's still a question that is asked from time to time! In no particular order:

Medium: Cotman watercolours (Windsor & Newton)Source: Any art supply storeThis little set has lasted me so long that I don't even seem to save them for serious artmaking anymore. Except for red, which I apparently use a lot of! That white pan is practically untouched... what is it even for? My only wish is to be able to buy refill pans in store. For now I'm just refilling the old pans with the tube version and letting it dry up.

Medium: CollageSource: thrift store!Right now there are only two papers I use to collage: book pages and garment patterns. Both are available for less than a dollar and will last forever. There's a stack of pretty scrapbooking papers here, ignored.

Media: Gel medium, Absorbent ground (both Golden)Source: Any art supply storeThese are essential! The absorbent ground is life-altering and can turn nearly any surface into one useful for watercolour. Where have you been all my life?? I'm using the heck out of this. And when I'm finished watercolouring a canvas, I often seal it with the gel medium for a matte, plastic overcoat. And then I might add another thick layer overtop for mysterious texture. Worth every penny!

Medium: spray inkSource: Lindy Stamp Gang, scrapbooking storesI often forget to use these, but the "spray" texture is a fun one. For a while I was refilling empty bottles with diluted acrylic paints, but they tend to rot quickly and clog up. Doing the same with watercolour didn't produce saturated enough colour. So I'm keeping a small stock of official ink sprays on hand, and pretty much only if they're on sale. Plus, they're usually iridescent and sparkly! These three particular brands are good (though the Heidi Swapp has a stronger smell). And that's pretty much it! Apart from the usual pencil and pen, maybe some white paint... most of the fun is contained within this tiny collection of media. I like having new toys just as much as the next person, but I find I will always fall back onto the tried and true. What sort of things do you tend to use over and over again?

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Hello! I'm Melissa, and here you'll find some behind-the-scenes footage of an artful life. Won't you join me?